Box set makes perfect quick gift

Give a present that sings

MICHAEL D. CLARK, Copyright 2004 Houston Chronicle

Published 6:30 am, Monday, December 13, 2004

Only 12 days till Christmas, which means the pressure of finding the perfect gift is starting to set in. Short of a trip to Europe, a new car or shiny baubles, a can't-miss gift is always music. Nearly everyone loves it, it's affordable, and the music industry makes hundreds of new products available in time for the holidays.

Here are a few can't-miss items to turn to in a pinch.

• Art of Modern Rock: The Poster Explosion b y Paul Grushkin and Dennis King(Chronicle Books, $60) — The sequel to rock historian Paul Grushkin's first book of concert advertising art, Art of Rock: PostersFrom Presley to Punk, this new book focuses on posters used to entice listeners of Phish, Pearl Jam, the Beastie Boys and many others to go see them live. The artists created their posters using everything from old ink presses to computer power tools. These beautiful and colorful reproductions make rock enthusiasts want to comb the Web looking for originals to frame.

• The Ultimate Collection, Michael Jackson(Epic, $59.98) — Before he became music's most famous freak show, the self-proclaimed King of Pop was pretty close to living up to that title. This CD/DVD box set is different from past Jacko retrospectives (1995's HIStory and last year's Number Ones) in that it includes hits from his childhood tenure in the Jackson 5 (ABC, I'll Be There) in addition to his greatest solo achievements (Rock With You, Thriller). Thirteen unreleased tracks (including Jackson's solo demo of benefit track We Are the World and the splendid Off the Wall outtake Sunset Driver) along with dazzling 1992 concert footage from Bucharest are enough to make anyone wonder, "What happened?"

• Live Aid(Warner Music Vision, $39.99) — It's been 20 years since a battalion of U.S. and British rock stars banded together for a daylong concert on two continents to raise money for famine relief in Africa. Millions of dollars were raised, but a lack of food, medical care and basic necessities remains as daunting a problem there as it was when Bob Geldof formulated Live Aid. You can help by purchasing this four-DVD set. It includes performances by some of the biggest stars of the '80s, including U2, Madonna, Duran Duran, David Bowie and Queen. Unfortunately Led Zeppelin's onstage reunion is absent.

• With the Lights Out, Nirvana(Geffen, $59.98) — It took 10 years, but Kurt Cobain's widow, Courtney Love, and Nirvana members Dave Grohl and Krist Novoselic have settled their financial differences, allowing Nirvana's vault to be emptied. The result is With the Lights Out, a three-CD/one-DVD timeline of b-sides, alternate takes, nonalbum tracks and unreleased material dating from the band's first show to Cobain's final solo performances. From covers of Led Zeppelin's Heartbreaker and Immigrant Song and a one-off spoof of Terry Jacks' Seasons in the Sun to soundtrack songs like Sappy and I Hate Myself and I Want to Die, this set is a must-have for anyone who waved grunge's flannel flag in the '90s.

• This Is Reggae Music: The Golden Era 1960-1975 (Sanctuary, $54.98) — A four-disc education in Jamaican music that finally helps dorm-room pseudo-rastamen dig deeper into the genre than Bob Marley's Legend and Peter Tosh's Legalize It. Essential artists, including Toots & the Maytals, Jimmy Cliff, Desmond Dekker and Lee Perry, are here, and, of course, so are Marley and Tosh.

• The Big Ol' Box of New Orleans (Shout! Factory, $59.98) — If you want a taste of the Big Easy at home, try The Big Ol' Box of New Orleans. The 85 songs include blues styles from Jelly Roll Morton to Marcia Ball with stops for the soulful Neville Brothers, slide guitar by Sonny Landreth and tent-raising with the Dirty Dozen Brass Band along the way.